


Breathe

by A_Voice_Lost_In_The_Wind



Series: Moments In Time [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Adoption, Affairs, Alternate Universe, Angst, Doctor/Patient, Domestic Violence, Engineering, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Hospitals, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-09
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2020-02-29 06:00:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18772672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Voice_Lost_In_The_Wind/pseuds/A_Voice_Lost_In_The_Wind
Summary: Comments and kudos are always welcome! Please let me know what you thought!





	Breathe

There were many things that Doctor Stephen Strange was known for many things. Primarily his work as a neurosurgeon, but those who knew him better knew him for his ego, selfish tendencies, and petty behavior. Being a doctor had only added to his detachment of life. Sure working the medical profession, taught someone how not to hold onto the faces or names. It made it easier to focus on the reward and not the outcome… But all of that had changed when Tony Stark and his young child, Peter had started making regular visits to the Emergency Room.

Flipping the chart closed, Stephen flipped the medical record shut. Everything in it screamed domestic abuse. The first visit exactly five weeks ago. Friday night, fifteen minutes to Stephen’s shift ending. A simple diagnostic, a cheekbone simple fracture. Not much that could be done but give some pain medication. The second visit two weeks later, broken ribs, wrapped them and sent the man on his way. Now was the third visit.

Peter had quickly made a name as beloved by the nurses. The five year old bright eyed and always rambling about some new discovery, “Stark is in room one if you are wondering.”

Drawn out of his thoughts Stephen nodded and ran a hand through his hand sighing softly, “Anyone been in to do intake yet?”

“No. He doesn’t want to talk to anyone but you.”

The doctor nodded his attention to the new intern, having yet to learn his name before turning on his heel, approaching the room. He raised his hand knocking twice before pushing open the door. Biting back an amused chuckle at the site that greeted him. Peter had stolen his stool and was leaning over Tony on the exam table, “Well Doctor Peter can you tell me what is wrong with him?”

Dark brunette curls tossing as the boy looked over his shoulder, “Papa hu-”

“Peter that is enough. Come here so that Doctor Strange can work.”

Stephen stepped forward, helping Tony get Peter tucked into his side, “Alright Mr. Stark can you tell me what happened this time?”

“I was carrying a box up the stairs and slipped, busted up my hip and shoulder pretty bad.”

Stephen sighed softly, “Tony, can I have one of the nurses take Peter out for a minute? He’ll be fine. Just at the nurses station.”

Tony took a moment to respond before slowly nodding, “I don’t want him too far. Peter has a lot of energy that tends to get him into trouble.”

Nodding a bit to himself, Stephen took Peter’s small hand, helping him down and leading him to the door, “Clea can you please take Peter to get something to snack on and hang onto him for a minute?”

The smaller blonde nurse nodded, taking Peter’s free hand, “Alright little man, you want chips and some Sprite?”

Closing the door, Stephen turned his attention back to Tony, “Can you tell me what really happened?”

“That is what happened.”

“Tony, we both know that is not what happened… Can you finish what Peter started to say?”

The room fell into silence, and the two stared at each other. The soft brown eyes, staring into the blue eyes with desperation and yet struggling to make sure nothing was spilling out, “M-My… Husband is a mean drinker. He is not all bad, but sometimes he goes into spurts. It was not all his fault. I pried into something I shouldn’t off.”

Stephen clenched his jaw a bit moving towards the male, “Tony Stark, I do not even know what you asked about but it does not deserve injuries like this. Your other ones have not healed yet… How about Peter?”

“No! He would not hurt Peter… Peter is his own flesh and blood. He loves him. He doesn’t have the chance. I never leave Peter alone with him. If I’m not there, Peter is not there.”

“But there have been times haven’t there?”

“He yells at Peter, but he’s never laid a hand to him.”

Stephen sighed a bit, “Here, lie on your left side.” Carefully pulling gloves on, the male stepped up gently pressing on the area, luckily not broken but inflamed, “I’m keeping you overnight for observation. If you fell down stairs, I am worried about concussion. I’ll have Clea come in, take you for an xray on your cheekbone and chest again. I’ll bring a cot around later for Peter, after he runs his energy out.”

“You… You won’t report it will you?”

“Tony, if I believe Peter is in damage in that home, I have to. I took an oath. I am a mandated reporter.”

“Stephen… They’ll take Peter away from me. He is safe with me.”

“I know that, Tony. That’s the only reason why I have not filed a report.” Folding his gloves over each other as he removed them and threw them into the trash can, “I’ll bring Peter back in a little bit.”

Tony nodded a bit leaning back and sighing softly, “Thank you.”

Nodding Stephen stepped outside of the room, pulling the door shut. He moved towards the nurse desk, setting the clipboard down, “Clea can you take him to xray? I want one of his head and his chest… Peter can you come with me for a minute?”

 

Peter nodded, eagerly taking the offered hand following beside the doctor, “Is daddy okay?”

“Your daddy is going to be just fine.” Opening a vacant break room, Stephen let the child scramble forward to the first table sitting down, “Can you answer some questions for me?”

“Mmmhmm.”

“Peter what happens when your Papa gets mad?”

“He… He yells a lot…”

“Does he hu-”

“Daddy said I’m not supposed to talk about that…”

Stephen forced himself to smile a bit. He took a seat down across from the child. Leaning forward as Peter looked down, catching his chin, “Peter it’s okay. See that door is locked and I promise whatever you say is going to be a secret.”

“Promise?” A trembling pinky finger was held out and Stephen carefully laced their fingers together.

“Promise.”

Peter slowly tucked his hands back to his chest and pulled his jacket closer, “Papa… Papa is mean to daddy. He yells all the time, especially when he has his juice from the cans… He.. H-” A choked sob escaped the child as he buried his face into his hands.

Stephen easily moved the child to his lap, pressing the curled haired head into his chest as he rocked from side to side, “Alright Peter that’s enough. You don’t have to tell me anything else.”

“He said he was going to kill daddy and I don’t want him to hurt daddy anymore.”

Stephen felt his chest tighten as he closed his eyes, “He is not going to hurt your daddy anymore.” Running a hand over the boy’s back, tears going onto his scrubs, “Shush sweetheart. It’s alright. Come here baby.”

“‘M not a baby.”

Stephen chuckled softly and ran a hand through his hair, pressing a kiss to the child’s head, “You’re right.. Can you do something for me?” He paused for a minute until the tiny nod greeted him, “Do you have a phone at your house you can get to in case of emergencies?”

“Uh huh. The one on the wall.”

“Can you remember stuff pretty good?”

“Sometimes.”

“Let’s go over a number a few times. I need you to promise you won’t tell your daddy about it and only call it when your daddy is getting hurt.”

The pair continued to go over Stephen’s personal number for almost thirty minutes before the overhead pager went off for Stephen to report to OR, but by then Peter was struggling to keep his eyes open. Scooping up the small frame, he made his way towards Stark’s room, nodding at Tony’s sleeping form, settling Peter down beside him draping the blankets over the pair, “N-Night Mr. Strange.” 

“Night Pete. If you need m-anything just hit that button okay?” He shut the door frowning a bit as he caught Clea’s smirk, “Clea wipe that smile off of your face.”

“You’re getting soft Doctor.”

“I am not getting soft. I have surgery, we will discuss this when I get out.”

“Sure we will.” She teased watching the doctor flip the bird and threw her head back laughing, “Come on Strange you can do better than that!”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Tony knew very well leaving right after a fight meant it would be worse when he got back. Lately he had been taking Peter wherever they were running off and that only made it worse. Eventually, meaning soon Peter would be at an age he had watch out for what came out of their son’s mouth.

It had not been like this forever. At their start of their relationship things had been fire and freeing. Then as quickly as the flame had came along, it had burned out. Tony working later each night on his inventions. Disappearing to parties. As hard as the couple tried with Tony’s late night and infertility, his husband’s affairs, and then with treatments along came Peter, things settled again, and then drinking led to fights, which led to screaming, to bruises and hospital trips.

Yet no one believed anything bad was happening in the home. If Tony ever tried to leave it would be the last thing he ever dared to do without permission, and if he managed to get out, no one would give that self employed bastard custody of Peter, and raise him with his own beliefs with his mistress.

Even in the endgame of the relationship, his husband would keep the most important thing in the world from the engineer. Insuring complete control over the other. It was a beautiful artform. 

Bringing the drink up to his own busted lip, ignoring the sting as it hit the open sore and burned down his throat, “Does he think he owns this house? I do. I do it all. His inventions are not enough to support himself, little long Peter.”

“Ah doll don’t worry about it. Eventually he’ll learn his place.” 

The male’s well worn fingers tangled into the long black hair, “Just like you did darling. Just like you did… Come on. Let’s find something more fun to do.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are always welcome! Please let me know what you thought!


End file.
